There she goes again, junior Mackenzie Rogers bolts past you leaving a gust of wind behind her. Rogers is an outstanding athlete and one of Poway’s fastest and most accomplished runners. Usually, finishing behind her is inevitable.

Rogers has been running since kindergarten and she continues to train and push her cross country team even though their season has been delayed many times. 

“It’s super disappointing and frustrating that our season keeps getting pushed back. We have been training day in and day out since the day track was cancelled in March, so I am so ready to race,”Rogers said.

Despite setbacks Rogers still continues to strive for more, and she is managing her team despite some girls not being able to train because of COVID-19, but no little pandemic will stop Rogers and her squad. 

“Currently, we are still training every day with runs and workouts … Now we cross train one day a week, to keep the impact off our feet and joints,” Rogers said.

Many Poway athletes believe a season is necessary, “I 100% think we should have a season. I understand the situation, but it is not fair to the athletes who have been working their butts off to make a mark this year… just to have it be cancelled,” Rogers said. 

She and other athletes are waiting for a start date as  the CIF governing body continues pushing back the start of seasons due to COVID spread.

As the pandemic impacts Rogers’s running schedule, she now sees more time for her other interests like “Going to dog beach with my puppy, Ollie, and spending family time cooking dinner with my family or baking in my free time!” Rogers said. With more time for activities, it is clear that running is still the most prominent activity for Rogers as she will continue to train unless told otherwise by her coach.